Combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney

ABSTRACT

A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney having an inner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding the conduit to form an air inner annulus therebetween, and a second liner member surrounding the first liner member to form an air outer annulus between the first and second liner. An insulation is connected to the inner fluid conduit to insulate the inner air annulus from the flue conduit. A shell member surrounds the insulation to separate the air inner annulus from the insulation. Brackets are provided to connect the shell member with the first liner, and the first liner with the second liner.

United States Patent [19] Cardiff COMBINATION INSULATED FLUE ANDTHERMOSYPHON CHIMNEY [75] Inventor: George H. Cardiff, Santa Cruz,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Metal Fab Inc., Wichita, Kans.

[22] Filed: June 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 373,000

[52] US. Cl 118/60, 138/155, 285/133 R [51] Int. Cl E04h 12/28 [58]Field of Search 98/58, 60; 110/184; 138/155; 285/133 R, 361, 396, 402

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,084 8/1905 Orr 285/3961,128,634 2/1915 Talbot ..,285/402 X 1,615,909 2/1927 Nance 98/582,130,385 9/1938 Flour et a1. 98/42 2,275,902 3/1942 Hasenburger et a1285/133 R [451 Oct. 22, 1974 Primary Examiner-William F. ODea AssistantExaminer--Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John H. Widdowson[5 7 ABSTRACT A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimneyhaving an inner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding theconduit to form an air inner annulus therebetween, and a second linermember surrounding the first liner member to form an air outer annulusbetween the first and second liner. An insulation is connected to theinner fluid conduit to insulate the inner air annulus from the flueconduit. A shell member surrounds the insulation to separate the airinner annulus from the insulation. Brackets are provided to connect theshell member with the first liner, and the first liner with the secondliner.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures a r a.

PAIENTEDBBIZZISH K A 3 W. 7. Z 11 P COMBINATION INSULATED FLUE ANDTHERMOSYPHON CHIMNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention is related to a chimney. More specifically,this invention provides for a combination insulated flue andthermosyphon chimney.

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional chimneys generally fallinto two classes. One class is known as the fully insulated class andutilizes an insulation of a predetermined thickness to protect the innerhot flue conduit from surrounding combustible materials. The secondclass of conventional chimneys is the thermosyphon type which uses thethermal effect of the inner hot flue conduit to set up convective forcesof air by drawing cool air through an outer air annulus and exhaustingit back into the atmosphere through an inner air annulus encompassingthe inner hot flue conduit.

Both classes of conventional chimneys have a major deficiency whichrequires the enclosing structure surrounding the chimney to have aminimum clearance of at least one to two inches from the chimney walls,or the insulation or thermosyphonic action become ineffective andcontiguous combustible materials become endangered. This is especiallytrue where flue products reach temperatures of l,00()F during normaloperations and up to 1700F during short periods of unusual firing. I

Therefore, what is needed and what has been invented is a novel chimneywhich is not taught or suggested by any prior art that utilizes thedesirable effects of both classes of conventional chimneys without theirforegoing deficiencies SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present inventionaccomplishes its desired objects by broadly providing a combinationinsulated flue and thermosyphon chimney comprising an inner flueconduit, a first liner member surrounding the conduit forming an airinner annulus therebetween, a second liner member surrounding the firstliner member to form an air outer annulus between the first and thesecond liner, and means for insulating the inner flue conduit from theair inner annulus. A shell member is additionally included to enclosethe means for insulating to separate the air inner annulus therefrom.Means for attaching the first liner to the shell member, and means forattaching the second liner to the first liner are also included.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a chimney that issafe to use even when placed in contact with combustible buildingmaterials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a chimney including acooling effect which is synergistic when compared to the combination ofthe cooling effects of the insulated and thermosyphon class ofconventional chimneys.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a chimney that isrelatively economical to manufacture and which may be used for gases andany liquid or solid fuel-fired commercial or residential applianceswhich produce flue products of temperatures of l,0OOF continuously, andfor occasional limited 'periods up to 1700F.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features which willbecome apparent to those artisans possessing ordinary skill in the artand as thefollowing description proceeds, are obtained by this novelchimney, a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, byway of example only wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary verticalsectional view of the chimney flushed against wood members;

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view of the chimneyadditionally including a front elevational view of the brackets used toconnect the various liners of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view looking along the direction of line3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view disclosing thebottom of the chimney;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view illustrating thetop of the chimney according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of two cylindrical members ofthe outside liner of the chimney; and

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view looking along the plane and indirection of the arrows of line 7 7 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring in detail now to thedrawings wherein similar or like parts of the invention are identifiedby like and insulates inner flue conduit 24 from inner air annulus 28. Ashell member 36 is attached to inner conduit 24 and encloses insulation34 to separate air annulus .28 therefrom. Shell member 36 has at leastone end attached to the inner flue conduit 24 such as to preventcommunication with the outside atmosphere (see FIGS. 1 and 5). Brackets38 connect liner 26 with shell member 36 and with liner 30. Liner 26 isconcentrically positioned with respect to inner flue conduit 24 and isshorter than liner 30 to enable air outer annulus 32 to be incommunication with air inner annulus 28. Liner 26 generally traversesthe entire length of inner conduit 24 Liner 30 is essentially alsoconcentrically positioned with respect to flue conduit 24 and includes aplurality of cylindrical members wherein, for illustration purposes, twoof the plurality of cylindrical members are included in the partialperspective view of FIG. 6 which discloses cylindrical members 40 and42. Cylindrical member 40 illustrates a male end of a typical member andcylindrical member 42 shows a female end. Each member of the pluralityhas the male end on one end and the female end on the opposite end.

Member 40 has a plurality of elongated elliptical (or rectangular)protrusions 44 situated on the internal circumferential area and inproximity to an end. Member 42 includes a plurality of channels, eachgenerally illustrated as 46 having a top 48 whose width is essentiallythe length of protrusions 44, and a base 50 whose width is essentiallythat of protrusions 44. Channels 46 essentially cause and delineateL-shaped protrusion on the interior surface of member 42 directlyopposite the exterior surface thereof.

In operation of the invention, inner flue conduit 24 is initially placedover a combustion chamber of a residential or commercial appliance, orsimilar installations which conduct high temperature liquid or exhaustproducts. Insulation 34 is connected thereto and enclosed by shellmember 36. First liner 26 has a diameter larger than flue conduit 24 andshell member 36 so that when brackets 38 connect liner 26 to shellmember 36,

air inner annulus 28 is formed. Second liner 30 can be in direct contactwith combustible material 22 and, as was previously mentioned, has aplurality of cylindrical members, such as members 40 and 42. Each of theplurality of members has a diameter larger than the diameter of firstliner 26 and connect with each other by inserting each of the pluralityof protrusions 44 of one member, for example member 44,'into the top 48of channels 46 of another member, such as member 42. When eachprotrusion 44 of one member is aligned with the base 50 of channels 46of another member, a twist lodges and locks each of the protrusions 44into each of the bases 50 of channels 46 to thereby lock a pair ofcylindrical members together. This can be clearly seen in FIG. 7 whichis a horizontal sectional view looking along the plane and in directionof the arrows of line 77 in FIG. 1. The plane of line 77 cuts aplurality of protrusions 44 of one cylindrical member while lodged andlocked within the bases 50 of channels 46 of another cylindrical member.

Liner is longer than first liner 26 such'that when all of the pluralityof the cylindrical members of line 30 are hooked up and attached toliner 26 by brackets 38, air outer annulus 32 is formed and is incommunication with airinner annulus 28. This enables cool air to beconvectivel'y forced down annulus 32 and up into inner annulus 28wherein the cool air leaves the top thereof in the form of hot airresulting from heat being conducted and radiated, in order stated, fromflue conduit 24, insulation 34, and shell member 26. This also enableschimney 20 to be flushed against wood members 22 without having to beconcerned about their being ignited due to heat.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, variouschanges and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure andin some instances some features of the invention will be employedwithout a corresponding use of other features without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth.

I claim:

1. A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney comprising aninner flue conduit, afirst liner member surrounding said conduit formingan air inner annulus therebetween, a second liner member surroundingsaid first liner member to form an air outer annulus between said firstand said second liner and means for insulating said inner flue conduitfrom said air inner annulus, a shell member attached to said innerconduit and enclosing said means for insulating and separating said airinner annulus therefrom, means for attaching said first liner to saidshell member, means for attaching said second liner to said first liner,said inner flue conduit being essentially cylindrical and saidinsulating means substantially covering the circumferential exteriorsurface of said inner conduit, said first liner being substantiallycylindrical and concentrically positioned with respect to said innerconduit and said first liner generally traversing the entire length ofsaid inner conduit, said second liner being essentially concentricallypositioned with respect to said inner flue conduit and includinga'plurality of cylindrical members, each cylindrical member including astructure defining a plurality of elongated generally rectangularprotrusions positioned on the internal circumferential area thereof andin proximity to one end and a plurality of channels positioned on theexterior surface thereof at the opposite end, said channels including atop whose width is essentially the length of said rectangularprotrusions and a base whose width is essentially that of saidprotrusions, said rectangular protrusions and said channels enablingeach of said cylindrical members to lock with each other when saidrectangular protrusions of one cylindrical member is inserted into saidtops of said channels of another cylindrical member and twisted whensaid protrusions are aligned with said base to lodge and lock saidrectangular protrusions of one of said cylindrical member into said baseof said channels of another cylindricalmember, said channels delineatingessentially L-shaped protrusions situated on the interior surface ofeach of said cylindrical members, said first liner being shorter thansaid second liner enabling said air outer annulus to be in communicationwith said air inner annulus, at least one end of said shell member beingattached to said inner conduit such as to prevent communication with theoutside atmosphere, and a combustible material in direct contact withsaid second liner.

2. The combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1wherein said insulating means includes granulated mineral wool fiber.

3. The combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1wherein said means for attaching said first liner to said shell member,and means for attaching said second liner to said first liner arebracket members.

1. A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney comprising aninner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding said conduitforming an air inner annulus therebetween, a second liner membersurrounding said first liner member to form an air outer annulus betweensaid first and said second liner and means for insulating said innerflue conduit from said air inner annulus, a shell member attached tosaid inner conduit and enclosing said means for insulating andseparating said air inner annulus therefrom, means for attaching saidfirst liner to said shell member, means for attaching said second linerto said first liner, said inner flue conduit being essentiallycylindrical and said insulating means substantially covering thecircumferential exterior surface of said inner conduit, said first linerbeing substantially cylindrical and concentrically positioned withrespect to said inner conduit and said first liner generally traversingthe entire length of said inner conduit, said second liner beingessentially concentrically positioned with respect to said inner flueconduit and including a plurality of cylindrical members, eachcylindrical member including a structure defining a plurality ofelongated generally rectangular protrusions positioned on the internalcircumferential area thereof and in proximity to one end and a pluralityof channels positioned on the exterior surface thereof at the oppositeEnd, said channels including a top whose width is essentially the lengthof said rectangular protrusions and a base whose width is essentiallythat of said protrusions, said rectangular protrusions and said channelsenabling each of said cylindrical members to lock with each other whensaid rectangular protrusions of one cylindrical member is inserted intosaid tops of said channels of another cylindrical member and twistedwhen said protrusions are aligned with said base to lodge and lock saidrectangular protrusions of one of said cylindrical member into said baseof said channels of another cylindrical member, said channelsdelineating essentially L-shaped protrusions situated on the interiorsurface of each of said cylindrical members, said first liner beingshorter than said second liner enabling said air outer annulus to be incommunication with said air inner annulus, at least one end of saidshell member being attached to said inner conduit such as to preventcommunication with the outside atmosphere, and a combustible material indirect contact with said second liner.
 2. The combination insulated flueand thermosyphon chimney of claim 1 wherein said insulating meansincludes granulated mineral wool fiber.
 3. The combination insulatedflue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1 wherein said means forattaching said first liner to said shell member, and means for attachingsaid second liner to said first liner are bracket members.